Spotify says it wants its users to be heard, seen, and felt. So, in its ongoing commitment to Black creators, the streaming platform has launched a new global initiative, Frequency, a new content hub for emerging Black voices.
According to Spotify, the initiative was created in response to the current sociopolitical climate where Black voices often continue to be left out of the narrative, leaving their contributions “underappreciated and underrepresented.”
The streaming giant wants to focus on celebrating Black art on and off its platform by showcasing Black entertainment, creativity, culture, and community.
As part of the initiative, the company created several new playlists to be a part of the rollout. The six new playlists will include the flagship “This is Frequency” — which will highlight new releases from both emerging and established artists — with the five other playlists covering country, rock, pop, indie, and dance + electric. Other playlists include House Party, and Ripple Effect. They will all allow users to learn about emerging artists and introduce talent to new fans every week.
“It’s important for Spotify to recognize that Black artists have influenced and made music across all genres, from country music to Caribbean to pop, and should be celebrated because of its impact on mainstream culture,” said Sydney Lopes, Spotify’s head of hip hop and R&B, artist & label partnerships in a recent statement. “Coming from a global streaming platform that relies on the art of these creators to be successful, we have a huge opportunity to showcase how broad that spectrum of Black culture is, and giving artists more autonomy in how their story is told is key to building trust and understanding. It’s really just the beginning of Spotify’s commitment to uplift Black voices both internally and externally with this brand, and given the platform’s global reach, there’s a ton of opportunity to show up for the community in ways that we have not before.”
Looking to offer more visibility and inclusion, Spotify is also vowing to “engage established and emerging creators across the African diaspora,” with a range of podcasts spanning all four of its podcast studios.